The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex

In It's Only a Movie, the incomparable Mark Kermode took us into the weird world of a film critic's life lived in widescreen. Now, The Good, The Bad and the Multiplex takes us into the belly of the beast to ask: 'What’s wrong with the modern movie business – and how can we make it right?'

Them: Adventures with Extremists

Them began as a book about different kinds of extremists, but after Jon had got to know some of them - Islamic fundamentalists, neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen - he found that they had one oddly similar belief: that a tiny, shadowy elite rule the world from a secret room. In Them, Jon sets out, with the help of the extremists, to locate that room. The journey is as creepy as it is comic, and along the way Jon is chased by men in dark glasses, unmasked as a Jew in the middle of a Jihad training camp, and more.

Nineteen-year-old Greg Sestero met Tommy Wiseau at an acting school in San Francisco. Wiseau's scenes were rivetingly wrong, yet Sestero, hypnotized by such uninhibited acting, thought, "I have to do a scene with this guy." That impulse changed both of their lives. The Disaster Artist is Greg Sestero's laugh-out-loud funny account of how Tommy Wiseau defied every law of artistry, business, and friendship to make "the Citizen Kane of bad movies" (Entertainment Weekly), which is now an international phenomenon.

marcus says:"It Starts coming Together"

Publisher's Summary

To avoid fainting, keep repeating it's only a move ..only a movie ..only a movie ..only a movie

If you grew up believing that Planet of the Apes told you all you needed to know about politics, that Slade in Flame was a savage exposé of the pop world, and that The Exorcist revealed the meaning of life, then you probably spent far too many of your formative years at the cinema. Just as likely, you soon would have realised that there was only one career open to you - you'd have to become a film critic.

In It’s only a Movie, the incomparable Mark Kermode takes us into the weird world of a life lived in widescreen. Join him as he embarks on a gut-wrenching journey through the former Soviet Union on the trail of the low budget horror flick Dark Waters, cringe as he's handbagged by Helen Mirren at the Bafta awards ceremony, cheer as he gets thrown out of the Cannes film festival for heckling in very bad French, and don't forget to gasp as he's shot at while interviewing Werner Herzog in the Hollywood hills.

Written with sardonic wit and wry good humour, this compelling cinematic memoir is genuinely ‘inspired by real events’.

I noticed this because of the cover, but the audio sample hooked me. I loved this book. Mark Kermode, who also does a BBC show that you can find in podcast about movies, writes and narrates this. I had no idea who he was before this, but after listening, I'm a big admirer.

He talks a lot about a variety of movies: The Exorcist, Mama Mia, Blue Velvet, The Queen, Breaking the Waves, Silent Running, Hellraiser, Local Hero, Texas Chainsaw Massacre II, The Evil Dead, and others with funny observations and personal notes.

The funniest parts are his first time on the radio, his ill-fated trip to newly capitalized Russia and his trip to the US to interview his favorite celebrities.

If you appreciate movies, especially cult or horror movies, you'll like this book.

Because of this book, I now subscribe to the Kermode and Mayo podcast, which updates every Friday with interviews and usually funny movie reviews.

If one can get past the laughs (not easy, because there are so many), this not only an amusing autobiographical piece of storytelling, but a deep love story: a love story about a man an his muse - movies.

Kermode reads his own writing the same way he speaks on the BBC: with wit, self-deprecating humor, but also with his passion for all things cinema.

I will have to listen to it more than once, because, frankly, I was often laughing too hard to get all the details of this audio "movie" "inspired by true events", directed, produced, written, scored and read by the Professor.

Highest recommendation - and check out his podcasts, both with & w/o Simon Mayo. Yes, you'll be addicted, but it's worth the monkey(s) on your back & every minute of your time, and every megabyte of storage & bandwidth.

Within the first 15 minutes of this title I knew I was going to love it and want to listen to it many times. Mark Kermode is a natural narrator (not always the case with celeb self-read autobiographies) and words, concepts, conceits, comedy all tumble out in an engaging and affable torrent. Listen to the sample and you will see what I mean, buy the book and you won?t regret it.

17 of 17 people found this review helpful

Melissa

Dartford, Kent, United Kingdom

3/13/11

Overall

"Witertainment at its very best!"

I loved it! Mark Kermode is sharp and witty and does a great job of reading his own text. It has laugh out loud moments but also has serious points he wants to make about films and the media. I love dipping into it when I need a pick-me-up after a bad day.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

H J Mac

London, United Kingdom

4/13/13

Overall

"It's wittertaining."

Sorry for the cheesy title. I couldn't resist. This is just delightful, I adore Mark Kermode's writing style. Both his books are sort of autobiographical, in a charming way. It's really a series of stories about his life as a movie journalist. Some of the anecdotes are very funny, and it's never dull.

If you are a fan of his radio 5 show, I think you need to read his books as there are references that will enrich your listening experience!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

castlerock, United Kingdom

4/13/13

Overall

"Very good, a real treat for movie buffs"

I enjoy listening to Marks movie review pod casts so thought I would try this audio book. I was not disappointed by it. It had all the quirky movie antidotes I expected and some personal stories from Mark. All in all very enjoyable for a movie buff like me.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Philip

Stafford, Staffordshire, United Kingdom

4/25/10

Overall

"Some amusing stories, but not much else"

This is a pretty strange book, being neither an in depth study of film or a detailed autobiography of Kermode's life. Instead it flits about through Kermode's experiences with various film makers and minor celebrities. Some of the stories are interesting (such as Kermode's terrifying trip through Russia during the soviet years), while others are pretty pointless.

Kermode himself reads the book as you would expect, and sounds fine, just as he does on Radio 5.

Mildly entertaining then, but you'd probably do just as well downloading the Kermode/Mayo podcast from the BBC.

6 of 9 people found this review helpful

Don

7/10/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"Oddly engaging"

I was slightly apprehensive about listening to the story of Mark Kermodes life. However, the book is firmly about his life as a film lover/critic so we never really see outside this element of his perosna, which is good as a narrative of his life from beginning to present might have had the air of him trying to be part of the celebrity culture he dislikes. If you like Kermodes film reviews you will lile this book.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

cumbria, UK

2/23/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"great listen (read)"

Dr K at his controversial best. great facts and opinions as you would always expect from the good Doctor.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

TheApples

11/10/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"A lot of Special K"

I really like listening to Mark Kermode on the radio and watching him on TV but I found his writing and delivery a little hectoring at times. Very much focused on his career and not a lot on family etc. Still enjoyable and interesting.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Kindle Customer

12/23/15

Overall

"Lovely Stuff"

Mark Kermode is a top class film critic and he also has a great sense of humour, the bottom line is if you want to know whether a film is worth watching or not, Mark is the guy to rely on!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Ade Dougherty

9/1/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Hello to Jason Isaacs"

A must for Wittertainees. Quite interesting for everyone else. Oh, this needs to be at least twenty words. There.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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